The present invention relates to imaging, and in particular to digital imaging in a portable radio communication device. Furthermore, this invention relates more particularly to a portable radio communication device having a connector for connecting an imaging device thereto.
The use of personal computers, in particular laptops, and personal communication devices, in particular mobile phones, is now commonplace. Much development work is being invested in enhancing the capabilities of laptops/mobile phones. One particular proposal has been to introduce to laptops/mobile phones additional functionalities such as still and moving image capturing, scanning and printing, these being provided by on-board or connectable cameras, scanners, and printers respectively. Digital video in particular offers a great many advantages over traditional analogue systems, supporting services such as video telephony and multimedia applications. It is envisaged that video cameras could be connected up with laptops and mobile phones as either integral parts thereof, thus making up part of the electronic apparatus as a whole, or as add-on peripheral devices provided in the form of detachably connectable modular accessories.
Furthermore, it has been noted that rather than arrange the video camera in a fixed relationship with the main device (e.g. laptop/mobile phone), it would be more useful if the camera were able to adopt a range of positions in relation to the main device. That is, it would significantly increase the usefulness of the camera unit, and the apparatus as a whole, if whilst being electronically connected to the laptop/mobile phone the camera unit could be moved about independently of the laptop. Thus there is a need for there to be a degree of relative movement between the camera and the main apparatus.
There are products already available which combine a video camera unit with a laptop computer. Typically in such a laptop computer, the video camera is mounted such that it is capable of turning with respect to the main body of the laptop, i.e. rotationally mounted. So whilst the laptop itself remains relatively static, the video camera may be rotated about the pivot axis to take a number of video frames. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the connecting wire and pivot arrangement used in the video camera module of this particular product. As illustrated, the camera module comprises a video camera 2 disposed centrally in a housing 4, a pivot mechanism 6 being provided at one end of the camera housing 4 and a collection of wires 8 extending from the other end of the housing. The pivot mechanism 6 is a relatively large and solid mechanism that effectively supports the camera module in a cantilever fashion in relation to the main body of the laptop. The mechanism consists of a small framework (to the left of the figure) that is secured to the main body of the laptop and a central spindle extending therefrom and terminating in a pressed sheet metal flat portion which is screwed down in the camera module. In terms of electrical connections, the arrangement used in this particular device is to connect the video camera to the laptop by a series of separate wired connections between the video camera unit and a PCB provided in the laptop. As can be seen there are a number of individual wired connections and these are in series with one another and intertwined. The wired connections are loose and provided with a sufficient amount of slack so as to allow pivoting of the video camera unit about the axes of the wires. Each wired connection is soldered at each end to contact points on the video camera unit and the PCB. Whilst this arrangement of separate wired connections is perfunctory in allowing pivotal electrical connection between the video camera unit and the laptop it suffers a number of problems. The wires move in a tortional twisting action about their respective axes and are therefore prone to stretching which may lead to the introduction of errors in the video pictures transmitted between the video camera and the laptop. Also chaffing of the wires is experienced because they tend to rub against one another during movement of the video camera unit. Furthermore, through constant pivoting of the camera, there is a serious risk that the wires will be pulled away from their soldered end connections.
Against this background, the present invention provides a portable radio communication device having a camera module associated therewith, the portable radio communication device having a connector for detachably connecting thereto the camera module or one or more other electrical devices,
the camera module and the one or more other electrical devices being detachably connectable to the portable radio communication device individually in a selectable manner,
the connector comprising cooperating circular cross sectioned plug and socket arrangement between the camera or the one or more other electrical devices and the portable radio communication device,
thereby allowing the camera module to rotate in relation to the portable radio communication device between different view taking orientations,
the portable radio communication device having electrical interface circuitry associated with the connector and enabling transfer of electrical signals between the camera module or the other electrical devices and the portable radio communication device in the said individual selectable manner,
the electrical interface circuitry comprising
detection means operative to detect the presence of the camera module from the other electrical devices,
and switching means operable to switch between electrical coupling of the one or more other electrical devices and electrical coupling of the camera module in response to detection of the presence of the camera module so as to place the portable radio communication device in a condition to receive imaging signals from the camera module.
The invention provides for a robust pivoting electrical connection between one electrical unit and another. It is found that in comparison to the prior art, the design of the invention is low cost, has high flexibility, high durability and high reliability. It is easier to manufacture than the hard-wired arrangement of the prior art, which is by its nature awkward. In the prior art, the video camera would require several electrical input and output connections, perhaps as many as ten. This many connections making up a pivot constituted by a series of simple wires is bulky and prone to wear. The present invention by comparison is neat, compact and robust. Also the arrangement of the present invention permits an unlimited number of rotations in any direction of one of the electrical devices with respect to the other. This represents a significant advantage over the prior art in which the inter-twined wires afford only a finite and relatively few number of rotations before the wires tighten up and prevent any further rotation. Thus, the present invention combines the pivoting requirement and the electrical connection requirement effectively and elegantly in a single entity.
In a preferred embodiment, the one or more other electrical devices comprise a headset and the detection means is operative to detect the presence of the camera module or the headset, and the switching means is operable to switch between electrical coupling of the headset and electrical coupling of the video camera module in response to detection of the headset or the video camera module.
Through the provision of interface electrical circuitry, advantage is taken of the jack socket electrical connector, ordinarily reserved for a headset to be used with the portable radio communication device, as a means for connecting the camera module to the portable radio communication device.
Therefore, camera functionality may be added to a mobile phone without the need for adding a further camera-dedicated connector to the mobile phone handset.
Accordingly, the present invention provides for a relatively cheap camera accessory to be used with a mobile phone without the need for complex mechanical structures.